World Footy News

The second Fitzpatrick Cup for Australian Rules football playing university teams in England and Ireland takes place today at the University of Birmingham. The previous inaugural event was held in Dublin late in 2013. It was contested by the NRC Eagles from Northern Ireland, DCU from Dublin, the visiting Oxford University team and was won on the day by the UCC Bombers from Cork.

The second incarnation of the event will see the defending champions, UCC, and fellow Irish team the DCU, up against a larger field which includes the host team, University of Birmingham and the teams from both Oxford and Cambridge universities.

The event is fast becoming an important fixture in the calendar of university based teams, not just for the bragging rights that go with victory against other fellow teams, but for the experience that players can gain and the prestige and confidence that go with victory.
For the UCC Bombers, their victory back in 2013 was an enormous boost for the club which was in its infancy, validating the club’s efforts to that stage and proving that the club had a potentially big future.

On the day there were six teams broken into 2 groups. The universities of Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge and Cork stood alone along with a combined Ireland and combined Midlands team.

The University of Birmingham team has taken out the 2015 Fitzpatrick Cup, defeating previous title holders, the UCC Bombers, in the grand-final.

RESULTS:

Group stage scores:

Cambridge 0.4.4 v Birmingham 9.7.61
Cambridge 3.12.30 v Ireland combined 1.2.8
Birmingham 10.12.72 v Ireland Combined 3.0.18
Cork 5.2.32 v Midlands 5.8.38
Oxford 0.10.10 v Midlands 5.2.32
Oxford 2.4.16 v Cork 4.7.31

First Semi: Birmingham 9 5 59 d Oxford 0 0 00
Second Semi: Cork (UCC) 5 9 39 d Cambridge 0 3 3

3rd place playoff: Oxford 2 8 20 d Cambridge 2 6 18

Grand Final: Birmingham 7 8 50 d Cork (UCC) 0 2 2







Left - The UCC Bombers holding the Fitzpatrick Cup in 2013